TeenHelp - How to make lucky stars

How to make lucky stars
By Hollie (James Moriarty)

Chances are many of you have tried out some form of origami in your lifetime, perhaps in school or on your own. This could be by creating something as simple as a chatterbox or, for some people, practicing a more advanced level of origami. Either way, this can be an extremely beneficial and fulfilling activity to take up. The problem for many people, however, is that many designs can look extremely complex, and for beginners, may often scare them off. This is why starting with something simple is a good way to go.

It is likely that some of you may have heard of 'lucky stars'. These are tiny little stars made out of paper, and they are very simple to master, and so a great starting point! Here I aim to help you, step by step, to create your very own lucky star.

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To make your lucky star you will need:

A strip of paper. You can buy lucky star paper, or simply cut up a strip of lined paper or printer paper, but any type of paper will do the trick. Strips should be about the size of one line out of a lined sheet of paper (~0.7x13cm).

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If you want to add color to your lucky star, make sure you have one side colored before you begin!

How to make your very own lucky star:

1. First, take your strip of paper and fold it over so it forms the shape of an awareness ribbon, ensuring that the end of the paper is behind the loop.
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2. Take the end of the paper strip and tuck it into the loop, forming a 'knot' in the shape of a pentagon. Fold the end back to neaten the pentagon up.
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3. Next, take the rest of the strip and wrap it around the pentagon, ensuring that it is evenly wrapped and not just around a couple of sides.
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4. Once this is done, tuck the end of the strip of paper away and you should be left with a tiny pentagon.
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5. Finally, use your finger nails (they don't need to be long, don't worry) to push each of the sides inwards, leaving the corners sticking out. This will transform your pentagon into a star.
http://www.teenhelp.org/albums/58390...61-method5.jpg

And that's all there is to it! Of course, if learning visually is more your thing, you can always head over to YouTube and do a quick search for a tutorial on how to make these little creations if this has not been sufficient.

Creating lucky stars is a simple and beneficial starting point for those of you interested in origami. Not only does it give you something to do with your free time, but origami also gives you a way of increasing your self-esteem and gives you a reason to have pride in your own abilities. It is also an excellent way of relaxing as it requires you to focus on what you are doing, rather than any tension you may be experiencing.

Don't take my word for it, though! Grab some paper and start folding. It might even be a good idea to keep your lucky stars in a jar so that you, and everyone else, can see your lucky stars develop into a collection;, something which you can look back at and be proud of.